Konoha, outside the gates of the Uchiha Clan Compound.
The Uchiha's fan-shaped clan crest was painted on the surrounding wall.
Shinichi walked up to the gates with Scarface.
Two Uchiha ninja stood guard at the entrance.
Shinichi handed over a visiting card.
The Uchiha ninja on the left reached out to take it.
He looked down and saw "Shinichi Hyuga" written on the card.
"Wait at the gate."
The ninja turned and ran through the gates with the visiting card.
He went to notify the clan leader, Madara Uchiha.
Before long, word that the Hyuga Clan Leader had arrived spread through the compound.
Quite a few Uchiha clan members ran to the gates to watch.
They gathered around Shinichi and Scarface, forming a circle outside.
People in the crowd whispered to one another.
"So that's the Hyuga clan leader?"
"I heard he was the one who fought Lord Madara a while ago."
"Lord Madara even said himself that he acknowledged him."
An Uchiha ninja looked Shinichi up and down.
"He only looks like a teenager. Is he really that strong?"
Someone beside him folded his arms and curled his lip, looking thoroughly unconvinced.
"He's just a Hyuga. What makes him worthy of Lord Madara's acknowledgment?"
"Our Uchiha Sharingan is the strongest."
"Exactly. How could the Byakugan compare to the Sharingan?"
Shinichi waited at the entrance without so much as lifting his eyelids.
He ignored the talk around him.
A young Uchiha ninja squeezed through to the front of the crowd.
He walked up to Shinichi in a few strides.
With his chin raised, he glanced at Shinichi out of the corner of his eye.
"Hey, you Hyuga."
"What are you doing here at our Uchiha compound?"
Shinichi looked at him.
"I came to discuss a business deal with the Uchiha."
The young man scoffed when he heard that.
He folded his arms across his chest and advanced half a step.
"Business?"
"What business could you Hyuga possibly have that you'd come to us?"
"Do you really think we Uchiha..."
He had yet to finish speaking.
A low voice came from behind the crowd.
"Shut up."
"Move."
The voice was not loud.
The Uchiha clan members gathered around immediately fell silent when they heard it.
The tightly packed crowd hurriedly backed away to either side.
The young Uchiha went pale with fright and retreated to one side with his head lowered.
A path opened through the crowd.
Madara Uchiha walked out from behind them.
His long black hair was wild and unkempt, and he wore a black robe.
Madara walked up to Shinichi and stopped.
He was a good deal taller than Shinichi and lowered his eyes to look at him.
Shinichi stood where he was and met Madara's gaze.
After a while, Madara spoke.
"To think the Hyuga clan leader would come to my door himself."
Shinichi looked at him.
"I came today to discuss a business deal with you, Lord Madara."
Madara asked no further questions at the entrance.
He turned and walked into the compound.
"Follow me."
Shinichi stepped forward and followed.
Scarface hurried after Shinichi.
The three passed through the Uchiha Clan Compound, one in front and two behind.
Whenever the Uchiha clan members along the way saw Madara, they stopped and bowed their heads in greeting.
After Madara passed, they raised their heads again and stared fixedly at Shinichi and Scarface behind him.
Scarface had witnessed Madara's strength firsthand that day.
He knew how terrifying the man walking ahead of them was.
Scarface stayed close behind Shinichi, his eyelids half lowered, not daring to look around at all.
Madara led them to a spacious wooden house.
He pushed open the door and walked inside.
Shinichi and Scarface followed him into the house.
The furnishings in Madara's house were very simple.
Several wooden couches stood against the walls, with a low tea table in the middle.
Apart from those, there was nothing else in the room.
Madara walked to the seat of honor and sat down cross-legged.
He glanced up at Shinichi and pointed to the wooden couch opposite him.
"Sit."
Shinichi walked over and sat on the opposite couch.
Scarface stood properly behind Shinichi, his hands hanging at his sides.
Madara folded his arms across his chest and got straight to the point.
"Go on."
"What business did you come to discuss with me?"
Shinichi looked at Madara without beating around the bush.
"Hyuga Village needs a supply of ninja tools right now."
"There are no other ninja clans in the Land of Rice Fields, so I could only come to Konoha to buy them."
"This morning, I took my men to the Hokage Building."
"I originally intended to buy a batch from Konoha."
"But Tobirama Senju said Konoha didn't have much stock on hand either."
"He said Konoha couldn't provide the quantity we needed."
Madara sat in the seat of honor, listening without expression.
His arms remained folded across his chest, and he had not even changed his posture.
Shinichi continued.
"Since the Senju can't supply them, I thought I'd come buy from the Uchiha."
"We need ten thousand shuriken."
"Five thousand kunai."
"And five thousand explosive tags."
"We can pay market price. Money isn't a problem."
Madara listened from beginning to end without interrupting once.
When Shinichi finished, he fell silent and waited for Madara to speak.
Upon hearing that Tobirama Senju had turned down the deal, Madara sneered.
He unfolded his arms and lowered his hands.
"That certainly is Tobirama Senju's style."
"He's a treacherous little man who knows nothing but scheming and plotting."
Madara sat in the seat of honor, his expression darkening completely.
"That's how Tobirama Senju guards against the Uchiha at every turn in the village."
"No matter what it is, he has to put obstacles in our way behind the scenes."
"That man is more petty than anyone."
Scarface stood properly behind Shinichi.
He pricked up his ears as Madara harshly berated Tobirama Senju.
Scarface found it immensely satisfying.
That morning at the Hokage Building, Tobirama had openly put the squeeze on them.
Hearing Lord Madara curse him now finally let him vent some of that resentment.
But he still kept his mouth tightly shut and his hands against his thighs, not daring to make the slightest sound.
Shinichi sat on the couch, his expression unchanged throughout.
He quietly listened until Madara finished cursing.
He did not follow Madara's lead and join in berating Tobirama Senju.
Shinichi looked at Madara opposite him and brought the conversation straight back to business.
"Lord Madara."
"Can we Hyuga make this deal with the Uchiha?"
Madara did not answer whether they could make the deal.
He did not even mention the price of the ninja tools.
Seated in the place of honor, Madara stared straight at Shinichi.
The anger he had shown while cursing Tobirama Senju was already gone.
A desire to fight slowly emerged in his eyes.
Shinichi sat opposite him without averting his gaze.
"Last time, outside your Hyuga Clan Compound."
Madara spoke, his voice growing low.
"We were only halfway through our fight."
"When that fellow Hashirama rushed out to get in the way."
"I didn't get my fill at all."
Madara braced his hands on his knees and leaned forward slightly.
The room abruptly fell silent.
Madara stared intently at Shinichi.
"I've had that fight on my mind ever since."
Madara rose from the wooden couch.
His eyes suddenly turned into red Sharingan.
"If you want to do business with the Uchiha, fight me first."
Before you continue